A Housing Challenge Summit was held today in Aviemore by the Highland Council to help find solutions to the ongoing crisis throughout the area.

The summit gathered parties from national and local government as well as private sector interests, both large and small, from across the fields of energy, housing development and commerce, to explore ways to tackle the Housing Challenge.

The summit was delivered in partnership with Prosper, with sponsorship from SSEN, Burness Paull and The Scottish National Investment Bank.

It comes after a Housing Challenge was declared in November 2023 and a number of strategic objectives were agreed in June 2024, which included: Levering finance from different means; finding varied mechanisms to build new housing; flexibility regarding the ownership of housing; and finding new ways to maximise the supply of land.

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"I am pleased to be attending Highland Council's Housing Challenge Summit and speaking with a range of stakeholders about how we work together to deliver the homes that people need," said Housing Minister, Paul McLennan.

"We know that tackling the housing emergency requires a joint approach between the Scottish Government, UK Government and local authorities and this summit will provide a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to come together to find ways to deliver more homes for communities across the Highlands."

Meanwhile, Convener of The Highland Council, Bill Lobban, said: "Affordable housing is an issue that is raised everywhere we speak to communities across the Highlands. For this reason, it is a high priority in the Council's Programme and members have declared a Highland Housing Challenge.

"There are also many wider socio-economic benefits in providing more housing, including boosting the construction industry, regeneration of town centres and reversing depopulation of communities.

"The economic benefits continue over the longer term, through savings on housing benefit, and wider benefits including reduced homelessness, increased employment, and improved health benefits."

He added: "Bringing the envisaged housing solutions to the Highlands is a key component of the economic growth required for the area in the next twenty years, helping us to seize important energy development opportunities, create benefits and sustain both our urban and rural communities."